User Reviews: Music from "The Elder"
Music From the Elder
Pros: Imagination
Cons: none
I was a big Kiss fan back in the seventies. This album is my fav of all Kiss albums. Being a rocker myself I loved the whole Kiss persona in the seventies Music, Show albums. This album shows the guy have even more imagination. It cool to hear something with a solid message. If you can't get into this album you need to move to the next level of understanding.
Was this review helpful? Yes - No"A World Without Heroes"...
Pros: Very few
Cons: A lot
This was supposed to be a soundtrack to a movie that never happened.
Gene's idea from start to finish, that never materialized.
New drummer Eric Carr did a great job considering the lackluster material; he is best featured on the instrumental Escape From The Island, which turned up as the song Breakout in Frehley's Comet.
Ace is quoted as having thrown his copy of this album against the wall when he heard it.
I'm afraid to think of what this movie would have been like had it actually been made.
The 2 best songs on this album are...A World Without Heroes and Escape From The Island.Was this review helpful? Yes - NoKiss - Music From The Elder
Pros: Kiss/ Bob Ezrin
Cons: Grandiose/Mr.Blackwell
The remastered Kiss - 'Music From The Elder' has the songs and story in the original order they were intended. Wow, this album is something else. If you take `Kiss' out of the equation and just listen to the album on it's own merit (very loud on headphones), it's really quite an accomplishment. Some of the tracks are phenomenal, from `Just a Boy' to `Only You' and 'The Oath'. When it originally was released in 1981, it was absolutely the wrong time (and the wrong band) to release such a record.
Now, it can be judged more objectively and recognized for some great songwriting and brilliant production. Lou Reed contributed some great lyrics on `A World Without Heroes' and `Dark Light' (which features a stellar solo by Ace Frehley), but I think Mr.Blackwell is a low point on the record and doesn't really fit in the puzzle. `Music From The Elder' was a disaster commercially for Kiss, but now some 20 years later, there is no denying the creativity and effort that went into making it. It is one of those albums that gets better with age and shows that when Kiss got together with Bob Ezrin, they could create something truly memorable and unique.Was this review helpful? Yes - NoJOIN THE "KISS SUCKS" CLUB
AND FLUSH AWAY KISS FROM THIS EARTH.
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoKISS' concept album
When I first bought this album (this was about 1988 or so), I had heard that it was a very different KISS album. I never got around to picking it up because most of the record stores were not stocking it. But once the abundance of the CD came in, I picked it up.
I was initially surprised at Eric's drum sounds. They seemed real distant, almost like Paul, Gene, and Ace wanted him to sound like Peter(Eric would allude to this in subsequent interviews about this album).
Having already been into bands such as Rush and recently at that time picking up Iron Maiden's concept album in "Seventh Son", I was more sensitive to it than the average KISS fan.
This album is not about women and partying at all:) Its an actual story, almost mythical. And for the average KISS fan who was use to the 3 to 4 minute basic rock song, this was like, "What the #%$! is this?"
Nevertheless, there are some decent tunes on here. I like 'The Oath', 'Just a Boy', and Gene's 'World without Heroes.' There are lots of quirky tracks like 'Mr Blackwell', and Ace's 'Dark Light.' A good solo outing in this one, but you can tell that Ace is too much into the artificial stimulants by this time. He sounds kind of baked on the track if you ask me.
New drummer Eric Carr doesn't really get any lee-way chops wise and sticks to basic 4/4 drumming the whole album, although he's allowed to shred on the double kick on occassion(i.e. The Oath). His calling would appear on the next KISS record.
Overall, the Elder is a valiant attempt by KISS to grow and re-invent themselves. Unfortunately, most of their audience just couldn't get into it. Although the band has shown its merits by including Gene's 'A World Without Heroes', on KISS' unplugged album.Was this review helpful? Yes - NoDiamond in the rough
This is probably one of the best Kiss albums ever, despite Kiss themselves rebuking it. Maybe they discovered that they actually had more talent then they thought, and were afraid they would have to maintain it. Any Kiss fan who doesn't find this album at least interesting is out of their mind. I think this album failed because most Kiss fans are uneducated retards who also like
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoUnderrated!
I think The Elder has gotten a bad rap over the years. It doesn't sound like a Kiss album in the classic sense. Bob Ezrin pushed the band to experiment and this is what we got out of the deal. The Oath is a cool song with it's driving rhythm and Paul Stanley falsetto vocals. Dark Light is Ace's contribution and probably the most Kiss-like song here. Cool solo too.
The rest of the album varies, from the grandiose Odyssey to the dark Under the Rose to the haunting Just a Boy. It's a hodge-podge of styles for sure but it all seems to work in a weird way. I wouldn't want another album like this from Kiss but for a one time thing, it was cool. I could easily see this as the soundtrack to a movie as Kiss envisioned it.
Ace appears to be absent from most of this album. He has said that most of his work was cut from the recordings and one can tell. As unusual as the album is though, you don't notice as much as say Creatures of the Night. Listen to this with an open mind. It's not bad!Was this review helpful? Yes - NoHa ha ha
I think they must of found some of Peter's drugs left in the studio. This album is hilarious. Buy this cd and crank it up cause it's so funny. So they had too make a stupid album but did they have to get costumes like that?
Mr blackwell is the most stupidist Kiss song ever made. They should make an album full of all their crap songs like no,no,no.Was this review helpful? Yes - Noelder kiss crap
O my God, what a piece of
Was this review helpful? Yes - Nokiss elder
Kiss is not a concept album kind of band and you know that if you ever heard this album.They were running out of ideas and experemented.They also had a diffrent look.Gene crying in world without heros video? come on now!
Was this review helpful? Yes - Nohilarious
very cheesy very lame but also very funny. buy it for the laughs
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoMusically superb!
This was a really different direction for Kiss and a brave experiment. Unfortunatley it was not well received by traditional Kiss fans. Musically it is one of the most powerful albums ever. It displays band members at the apex of creativity rather than the simple barbarian arena rock usually associated with Kiss.
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoBest KISS album
Be forewarned - if you're looking for standard KISS headbanging, look elsewhere. On Elder, KISS displays a much wider range of musical and lyrical talent than on any other recording. When I first heard this album in 1987 (when I was a *huge* KISS fan), I was blown away. Now that my musical interests have widened, I don't listen to much KISS anymore, but Music From The Elder is still high on my own personal playlist.
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoA great effort
Right Off The Bat...i give 2 stars to any band who has the balls to make a concept album. Kiss proved that not only are they masters of arena rock, they are also highly skilled musicians.
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoWas suposed to be a soundtrack.........
This was supposed to be a sountrack to the movie The ELDER. They did it and even wrote the screenplay. That is why it sounds the way it did. They (KISS)
couldn't get the actors that they wanted to star so they scrapped it.
This is just grapevine stuff but I have a friend that is the movie bizz and he says that KISS is giving it a try again.
Thay want to be in the movie as Elders along with Sean Connery to name a few.
I wish I could get the screenplay to read. My mind goes wild when I think of how it will turn out. It could be bigger than Star Wars.....Was this review helpful? Yes - NoConcept!
Really cool album, I hope someday it will get over the gold status! Hey i just bought a new one so it should!
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoGreater than i would have thought?
I just Listened to the Elder for the second time ever all the way through, and i can now say it is totally awesome, Every song is good. I really love A world without heroes, KISS not only can Knock you on your ass with Hard songs, they can also play the slow stuff pretty damn good. Beth,Hard luck Woman, Shandi,I still love you etc. this album is a concept album and i think i finally get it! KISS Rocks!
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoTHE BIG CHEESEY CHEESE
Need i say more-hey gene give it up
A world without you would be cool
with meWas this review helpful? Yes - NoThe Elder RULES!!!!
Who cares if this is not typical KISS!!! This album sweeps you up with great melodies, and dreamy lyrics. Then it drops you off in a fantasy. A true musical "Odessey".
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoHEY , WHERE YOU TAKING ME????
THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD ALBUM....
EXPERIMENTAL AND FAMILIAR AT THE SAME TIME
"JUST A BOY" , "WORLD WITHOUT HEROES" "THE OATH" "DARK LIGHT" "MR. BLACKWELL" ALL SEEM TO HANG TOGETHER IN A STRANGE BUT INTERSTING MANNER...
KISS SHOULD BE PROUD OF THIS WORK....Was this review helpful? Yes - NoMiddle Years sound in KISS album
Unique one. I've never seen something like this. "Elder" offers us melodic, hard and highly original sound. My favorite song is "The Oath", the hardest one. Yes, these guys didn't want to buy this one, but what's the reason? They are too stupid to understand that everybody can play the stuff which he wants, and KISS are free to choose their own musical style to show their best. I think that this one is worth buying and listening to.
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoGood but not great
The Elder is a pretty good album the only songs on here I like is Dark Light, World Without Heroes, The Oath, and Mr. Blackwell. The rest of this album I don't really care for. It's a good record worth getting. It's just not that great to me.
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoThey slept on this one
I remember when this came out, everyone dismissed this album. I think it is fantastic musically. Like nothing they had ever done. A World Without Heroes remains one of my all time favorites! The tear from Gene's eye at the end of the video always gets me. It sounds like they tried to capture some of the sound from this album on Psycho Circus' Journey of 1000 Years.
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoJust Wonderfull...
This album from KISS is definitly something else! Not liked by the average KISS-fan but boy this is in my opinion their best album by far!
The orchestral approach turns out to be fantastic!
A wonderfull album...
My favorite song: Under the Rose (Gene Simmons Rules!)Was this review helpful? Yes - No2 1/2 STARS FOR EXPERIMENTATION.
There's nothing about this disc that really stays with me; however, I give the band credit for attempting to make something that deviates from the last 2 pop-oriented albums.
Was this review helpful? Yes - Nodecent concept cd
Kiss trying to be Pink Floyd, at least some songs are heavier than their 2 previous cds. Not bad but not good.
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoInteresting concept, good overall.
Now it's time for the album that makes many a KISS fan cringe, Music From The Elder. Admittedly, on my 1st listen, I really wasn't too sure what to make of it, it really is very different from any other KISS album to date. Still, I really like the way this 1 comes together. My recommendation would be to listen to it with an open mind, because if you go into this album expecting to hear usual KISS, or even the sound of Dynasty & Unmasked, their previous 2 albums, you'll be disappointed. That said, The Elder tells the tale of a boy eventually finding the courage ready to battle an ancient evil, & tells it well (at least, the remastered version does, with the songs in the intended order). From the opening track, fanfare, into the slow ballad Just A Boy, where Paul really shows us another side of his voice, you know you're in for something different, & I find it quite refreshing, actually, especially 2 albums removed from that awful Dynasty. There are some rockers here, namely the last song, I, & Ace Frehley's last lead vocal for KISS for 17 years, Dark Light. Overall, defintely a good album worth purchasing.
Was this review helpful? Yes - No
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